Greenwood resident Steve Feldhake submits a jar of honey to the open class exhibit Friday at the Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair.
ANDY BELL-BALTACI | DAILY JOURNAL
It was happenstance that led a Greenwood man to discover a love for beekeeping, and this year, honey from the bees he’s kept was on display at the Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair.
This year marks the first time the fair has held an open class exhibit for honey, meaning people of all ages could display their honey and have it judged for quality.
Greenwood resident Steve Feldhake, had a surprise introduction to beekeeping from his son-in-law, he said.
“I was cleaning a fence row in the fall about six years ago. It was a cold day, a nasty day, and I went out the next day and got around a Kentucky coffeetree and there were all kinds of insects flying around and I didn’t know what they were,” Feldhake said. “I got closer to them and there was a hole two inches big and I see it’s honeybees. My son-in-law wanted me to be a beekeeper for a long time. He said ‘you just became a beekeeper. It’s gonna be winter soon so you gotta start feeding them.’”
The retiree is a master gardener who owns 3.5 acres of land on the east side of Greenwood. Feldhake adapted to the beekeeper lifestyle quickly, keeping bees alive with sugar water in the cold months and building a swarm box filled with lemon grass to emulate the aroma of a queen bee. He’s also learned a lot from beekeeping, he said.
“During the summer, the male bees mate in the air with the queens and in the fall, preparing for winter, the female bees kill the male bees and haul them out because they just eat food,” Feldhake said. “The first year, I was shocked to see the dead bees, I called my son-in-law and he said they’re probably all male bees.”
Damian Stanziano, a Franklin resident, has been beekeeping for eight years, but said he still considers himself an advanced beginner.
“A lot of times you have to start over. I’ve restarted lots of times, but I have had a few successful years where I got a honey crop. Last year was one of them,” Stanziano said. “Colony collapse is the main problem. It’s caused by Varroa mites and small hive beetles — two parasites all beekeepers have to deal with. Some people try to be treatment free and not use chemicals, but that is getting to be more and more impractical.”
The honey open class exhibit came about as a result of demand, said Sarah Hanson, agriculture and natural resources educator for Purdue Extension Johnson County.
Exhibitors were required to bring in two jars of honey, and the category was open to all Johnson County residents, she said.
“With open class, we see ebb and flow with different projects. When we have people asking for certain things, if we don’t have a category to put it in, if a certain number of people demand it, we create a category,” Hanson said. “Most of open class is adults, not experts, people who have an interest or hobby. Some are experts for sure, some are projects with very good skills in sewing, cooking, art, gardening. You don’t have to be an expert by any means.”
Feldhake said he joined the competition as a form of friendly competition. The jars get judged for both clarity and color, but the judges don’t taste the honey, he said.
“I don’t do it for profit, I just do it to keep busy and have fun,” Feldhake said. “I get stung a lot. Sometimes it’s funny how they’re on a warpath. My bees are close to my garden, so I wear nets.”
After judging, Franklin residents Ken Zanzalari, Rick Paris and Ellen Mae Paris placed first, second and third, respectively.
